Yoga for “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” was the theme for the International Yoga Day 2023, which beautifully captures the aspiration for “One Earth, One Family, and One Future”.
The Welfare associations and the regular workout groups of the Meghdutam Park organised an impressive yoga event in honour of the theme on 21 June, on the occasion of International Yoga Day. Around 450 people joined with their friends and family to embark on the journey to healthier self.
The event started with the chant of Gayatri Mantra followed by asans and prayanams. The very qualified and trained Yoga teacher of a health group gave precise instructions along with her collègues, who performed the asanas, for all the participants to follow. They also gave important tips to people suffering from stiff back and benefits of making Yoga as part of their daily routine. It was much appreciated and many people took a vow to make Yoga as part of their daily routine and lead healthier lifestyle.
The event ended with paying respect to the National Anthem.
Rajiva Singh, President NOFAA, termed this Yoga Day event as a “Community Festival”. He said “Earlier it was celebrated in each society and groups, but this year several high-rise gated societies celebrated this today together as a ‘community festival’ with immense enthusiasm.” He writes: Pandemic has been a great learning for all of us and forced us to rethink on our fitness goals and also in building a strong immune system. The last three years have been very challenging in terms of the changing lifestyle habits for our wellness and healthy living.
The growing pace of life in a metro city has greatly affected our stress levels. Adopting yoga as a way of life has been helping us in keeping our mental and physical health in a great way. Children and youth all need to learn meditation techniques to cope up with the ever-growing pressures in the day to day life. Yoga provides both, mental as well as physical agility.
We need more organized yoga institutions which can take the yoga practice to the next level; more yoga instructors who can visit homes and community parks to train more and more yoga enthusiasts. Even professional sporting institutions who are into coaching cricket, hockey, football, etc. need to have yoga support as a means to achieve total fitness for high pressure games and for stress management . Mental fitness through yoga can be a differentiator in such high pressure sports.
Lot of awareness has now been created both, nationally as well as on international level; now it needs to be translated into actions. It is time we start practicing Yoga as a way of life and it does not remain restricted as a one-day celebration activity.
by Anjali Batra (301, Mahagun Maestro)
